Hand loom



June 29, 1948. F.' 'HAVlcE 4 2,444,162

` HAND LooM i l Filed Nov. 1, 1945 5 sheets-sheet 1 Mmmm/5 Filed NOV. 1, 1945 I /5 INVENTOR.

Fran/f Hav/ce ATTORNEYS June 29, 1948. F."HAvlc v 2,444,162

` A HAND LooM Filed Nov. l; 1945 5` Sheets-Sheet 5 INVENToR.

k v -BY fuffa/7h Hav/ce l@ f M/Zf/,g MM2/M7 ATTORNEYS FHAVICE HAND LOOM June 29, 1948.

5 Sheets-Sheet 4 Filed Nov. 1, 1945 INVENTOR. Fran/f Hav/'ce AT TORNEYJ Patented June 29, 1948 Frank Havice, New York, N. Y. Application November 1, 1945, Serial No. 626,063

This invention relates to hand looms for weaving a Wide variety of fabrics, and more particularly to a hand loom which is portable and suitable for home use.

Prior home looms have consumed considerable space in the household` and cannot beV easily stored Within an adjoining, usually limited, closet space of a room. Also, such looms ordinarily bristle with projections with which one moving about the loom maybe easily caught or entangled and which, though submitted to little force, become easily broken. Furthermore,A the hand looms of the horizontal type may, during certain operations, require the services of two people, one stationed at one end of the machine adjacent to the warp roller and another stationed at the opposite end of the machine adjacent to thecloth roller. In the horizontal machine considerable reaching is necessary from one end of the machine in order to reach the work and to put the shuttle through the established shed between warp strands. This reaching becomes tiresome and reduces the volume of work which the operator can do in a given time. M v

Prior machines of the upright type have similar disadvantages as above mentioned. They.

have generally been of a type which stood on the floor, consuming considerable space and making it necessary for the operator to stand up to the same as he must do with the horizontal type Vmachines in order to be able to easily throw. the shuttle through the prepared shed of warp strands. None of the machines, either of the horizontal or upright type have been sufficiently I compact so that the operator may sit in a chair and be in easy reach of all of the operating parts of the machine. l Y

It is accordingly the principal object of the present invention to provide a hand loom for Weaving a wide variety of fabrics, which is compact, simple in construction, truly portable and adapted to be carried as a suitcase is carried, easily stored, and when disposed in place on a table or piano bench is of such height that the operator may be seated in a chair and haveA a full control of all of the operating parts of the loom.

It is another object of the invention to provide in a portable loom a beater frame which will lie not in use, whereby to provide maximum shed 7 Claims. (Cl. 139-29) 2 v between Warp strands and as well a beater frame which is automatically returned to this position when it is released from its lowered or working position.

It is another object of the invention to provide in a loom suitable guiding means or mechanism` adapted to be inserted into the shed to guard against the falling of the shuttle at any point in the extent of its passage through the shed,

` and wherein the guiding means is automatically removed from the shed as the beater frame ls brought down into position to beat the weft or Woof threads into the cloth.

It is another object of the invention to provide means to prevent pushing the shuttle accidentally through the warp strands forming one side of the shed which may otherwise occur While inserting the shuttle into the shed. y It is lstill another object of the invention to provide a hand loom adapted for home use which is `free of projecting portions, streamline in design, Wherein the operating parts are fully enclosed within a supporting and protecting frame and 'not vulnerable to .breakage and `further wherein the loom may consumeonly little space in a storage closet so that a number of them can be readily stacked or disposed close to each other for storage while not in use. v

It is another object of the invention to provide an arrangement of the heddle frames which `is compact, readilyaccessible and easily selected by hand from apoint immediately4 in front of the operator and arranged to consume minimum space within the loom frame.

According to the invention, the loom frame is of streamline design including generally side wall pieces with transverse spacing members disposed therebetween. At the top of the frame is located the warp roller and warp beam and at the bottom is located the clothroller and clothbeam. Warp strands leave the warp roller and are guided downwardly from the Warp beam through a set of heddle frames and over the cloth beam to the clothroller. A beater frame containing areed is pivoted on a bar at the rear of the loom frame` |and between the end frame members and `is adapted to lie parallel to and close to the heddle frames while the shuttle is being passed from one side of thewarp shed to the other. A spring automatically maintains the beater frame in this position when not in use and after the operator has used the beater frame to pack the Woof threads into the apex of the shed against the action of this spring and released it. By the use of this return spring one stroke of the operators arm is eliminated. The hand need not be moved to return the beater but may move directly to the heddle frames or to the point where the shuttle has fallen to effect the next operation.

Coupled to this beater frame is a backboard arrangement adapted to be automatically projected into the shed as the beater frame is raised so as to provide a catch for the shuttle as it is passed through the shed to prevent the shuttle from dropping into thejnarrow converging space between warp strands to become entangledthere# with.

All of the operating parts lie within the confines of the supporting frame. The frame v.end

pieces have holes in them to contain hand Wheel backing board showing the connection of the parts for operating the warp roller and the cloth roller so that these parts need not project beyond the outside faces of the same, thereby pre-v venting them from becoming easily brokenby passing objects and permit them to be stored in flush endto end, relation `with each other without consuming additional space beyond the conilnes of the frame. The top of the loom likewise is flat and has no projectionsv extending therefrom so that one loom can be supported on top vof another floom or other objects in the closet where the loom is stored may be disposed on top of it. At the rear o f the frame, there are noprojections. At the front of' the loom there are projections only when the loom is in use and the` heddle frames are withdrawn. Even with the heddle frames withdrawn,y the Warp threads are never brought outwardly of the confines of' the frameso as to be without protection. In order that the shuttle can be easily inserted Ifrom one side of the loom and thrown to the' other side, the frame'end pieces are 'cut out to provide access to the shed. These cutout openings not only permit the throwing of the shuttler but render the operating dials for the rollers located in the end pieces of the frame more accessible.

For other objects and for a better understand-l ing of theinVentiOn, referencev may be had to the following detailed description taken in connection with the accompanying drawing in which Fig. 1 is a vertical sectional view of the loom showing the beatery lowered positions;

Fig. 2 is a detailed sectional View of the detent'v means. It also shows how the backing board of' the shuttle guiding means accommodates itself to the threads forming the rear portion of the shed;

Fig; '7 is a horizontal cross-sectional view through loom taken on the lineI-I of Fig. 1 and looking in plan upon the backing board;

Figl'is an enlarged fragmentary view of the frame in both its raised and' lingers therewith.

Referring now particularly to Figs. 1, 3 and 4, there is shown a loom frame II, comprising end pieces I2 an-d I3 and pairs of top and bottom transverse spacing members I 1I and I5 for connecting the end pieces together. The end pieces I2, I3 are wide at their bottoms and narrow at their tops. The transverse members I4 at the top are spaced from one another, from front to rear, more closely than the transverse members I5 at the bottom.

On the bottoms of the end pieces I2 and I3 and at opposite edges thereof are supporting buttons or feet i6, preferably of resilient material, for supporting' frame H, on a table or piano bench without inflicting scratch marks upon the same. Should it be desired to stack the frames or the completed looms on top of each other, the same may be readily done by virtue of the top spacing members AI 4 being more narrowly spaced than the bottom spacing members I5 and without the butons I6 interfering or engaging any portion of the upper part of the lower loom frame. At the botn tom of the end pieces IZ and I3 there is relieved opening I'I, which serves to lighten the frame. On stacking, support is had by the spacing memm bers I51of the upper frame upon `the spacing member I4 of the lower frame. Also, the bottom edges of the end pieces I2 and I3 of the upper frame will receive support from top edges of the lower frame as the onefrarne is stacked thereon. If it is desiredto carrythe frame as a suitcase would be carrie-d, the person may grasp one of the top spacing members Id, intermediate the length of the same soas to afford suitable balance of the loom within the hand and walk away with it,

In one of the top spacing members I4 is a slot n 2@ adapted to-receive a thread guide. This guide is tted inthe slot at the time the strands are supplied to the warp roller in order to have them properly aligned on the roller;

Pivoted in the frame II, near the top thereof and close to the rear of the frame is a transversely extending warp roller 2 I. The pivotal connection of this roller 2| is made at each end with the inside walls of the end pieces I2, I3, by means of a cross-p1ate 22, diametrically disposed across an opening 23 adapted to house a dial or hand wheel 2@ on end shaft 25 of the roller, Fig. 3. The roller 2l itself is made of wood'and end shaft 25 eme bedded in respective opposite ends of the same. The hand wheel arrangement just described is provided at both ends of the roller so that the roller can be turned from either end of the loom. On the end piece I3 and in order to prevent free rotation of the roller in one direction, there isr provided a ratchet arm or detent '23; Fig. 3 pivoted at 26a. As the roller is turned with -the ratchet arm 2G in place on a ratchet wheel 21, rigid with the roller, warp strands 28 `spaced along the extent of the roller will be tightened.

Extending flush with the inner wall face of the end piece I3, and adapted toy slide over pins 29, in the end piece, Fig. 3, is a 4slide 3|, having an inwardly turned handle portion 32 readily accessible to the operator in front of the loom, for unlocking the arm 26 from the ratchet wheel 21, so as to :free the warp roller 2| in both directions of rotation. On the warp roller 2| are spacing pins 33 for maintaininggroups of the warp strands 28 spaced throughout the lengthof the roller.

Near the bottom of the frame II and substantiallyv vertically aligned with the roller 2l, is a cloth roller 34 for collecting the accumulated woven cloth. This roller 34 is also made of wood and is connected to the end pieces I2, I3 by means of bearing plate `pieces 35 extending across open` ings 36 which housecloth` roller hand operating dial or wheels 31. l i

Each dial wheel 31 is secured to a'hollow shaft 31a extending through the bearing plate 35 to the roller 34. Each hol-low shaft 31a is shown provided with a transverse pin 31 positioned near an end of the shaft.` Each pin 31 is adapted to engage a removable crank (not shown) or similar device for the purpose of rapidly rotating shaft 31a or for applying a greater torque thereto than can be applied conveniently by any of the dial wheels 31. A ratchet arm or detent 38 pivoted at 33 to the frame end piece I3 is adapted to be unlocked from a ratchet wheel 33 on cloth roller 34 by a slide 39', Fig. 3, carried on pins 4I) project-- ing `from the inner wall face of the end piece I3. The slide 39 extends smiciently forward toward the front ofthe frame so as toibe readily accessible to the operator. This slide likewise has an inwardly extending handle projection 4I. ratchet mechanism is such that when in operation it ratchets in a reverse direction from the ratchet mechanism on the warp roller 2 I. This is so that one ratchet mechanism will be provided in the system to keep the cloth and warp strands tight while the rollers are being rotated. If the warp roller is turned to return or tighten the warp strands the ratchet mechanism on the cloth roller locks the cloth roller. If the object is to advance the cloth on the cloth roller, the ratchet mechanism on the work roller is released, and the cloth roller is turned. With both ratchet mechanisms engaged with their respective rollers, both rollers are locked to retain the cloth and warp strands tight between warp and cloth beams 42 and 43, located respectively at the top and bottom of the frame and over which the warp strands and cloth ride. The warp beam 42 is located substantially centrally of the frame, and close to the warp roller 2 I, whereas the cloth beam 43 is located close to the front of the frame and somewhat removed from the cloth roller 34. The cloth beam 43 is not directly under the warp beam 42. This not only aords space for locating the cloth roller 34 on the ,iframe above the cloth beam 43 and keeping the frame depth within minimum dimensions, but places the warp strands in a slightly inclined position relative to the vertical and such that the operator would look upon them in the same manner as he would look upon a book, thereby permitting the operator to stand or` sit up straight to work at the loom.

It should now be apparent that by having the operating dials 24 and 31 conned within large openings 23 and 33 in the end pieces, that the operator is not only given ready access to these dial members but projections are eliminated from the loom .and the looms themselves can be placed in end to end relation or against a wall without consuming unnecessary storage space. Furthermore, the parts are protected against outside interference which might disconnect them or loosen them from the frame. Also, the dials for the rollers are at both sides of the loom so that they may be operated by right-handed and left-handed persons or operation with right or left hand at will.

`Fastened on the inside of the end pieces I2 and I3 and extending therebetween is a heddle frame arrangement 45 including a plurality of heddle frames 46, 41, 48 and 49. Each of these heddle frames have a plurality of loose `and laterally- This' adjustable heddle wires 5I with the usual eye por-a tions 52 through which the individual warp strands 28 extend, Fig. 1` `These frames are rectangular and are made of rigid 'construction-and their ends are respectively slidably contained in channels 53, Figs. 2 and 4, fastened to board or plates 54 which are inturn connected to the inner faces of the end pieces I2, I'3. i

In4 the ends of each frame are grooves 55 in eachV of` which ride a spring-biased detent ball 56 housed with its operating spring 51 in a little container 58. The ball .assembly is inserted as a unit through a holein the channel'and into a recess 59 provided in the plate 54. At the ends ofthe grooves 55, are enlarged round ball-retaining recesses in..which the `ball is pressed to arrest the frames in either their in and out positions. These detents thus limit the move` ment of the frame. The rearward movementof the frames may further be arrested bya rubber stop stript' at the rear of the frame, Fig. 1. The heddle frames have handles 6I, 28', G3 and 64 for withdrawing the heddle frames to form a shed opening 32 between warp strands 28 and beneath the heddle frames. The` handle 6I of the top frame 43 is aligned with the handle 64 of the bottom heddle frame 49 but handles 62 and 63 are offset on their respective frames 41 and 48 to the left and right with respect to the handles 6I and E5. This is purposelyfdone so that the operator will have free access to thehandles and can readily grasp one of the same without graspingthe other. Each of these handles can have indicia thereon to assist in their selection for operation according to the design in the tapestry or carpet being made. Fingertip control of the heddle frames is thus had.

`On the rear of the loom frame is a rod iwhich serves as a pivot for a beater frame 61, Figs. 1 and 4. Each endof the rod is fastened to the end pieces I2, I3 by a-pair of cooperating lock nuts 68 and 69. Each lock nut 58 is confined within a large recess 10 and can be loosenedby a socket wrench. No part of the nut G8 or of the rod 66 extends outwardly of the outside Wall of the end piece. By this arrangement the two end pieces I2 and I3 may be drawn together slightly or pushed outwardly to properly adjust the chan` nels 53 to the edges of the heddle frames dfi- 49. The beater frame 61 has L-shaped attaching plates 1I each having an opening 12 through which the rod 66 extends.` The beater frame is retained against lateral displacement on the rod 66 at the ends thereof by a `washer' 13 and pin 13a. i Should it be desired to move the beater frame laterally a slight amount to more properly align slots 14, formed between guide wires 14a, with thelwarp strands, thelock nuts IiS and 69 are loosened and the rod bodily adjusted this slight amount. With the adjustment of the rod 6G, the beater frame 61 will be adjusted along with it.

By having the depending plates 1 I i on the beater frame so as to lower or downwardly offset the pivot point of the beater, the beater frame 61 when raised may be brought parallel to and close to the bottom heddle frame 49, whereby to give maximum shed height between the separated warp strands. i The beater frame 61`is `raised and heldin its raised position by one or more return springs 16, Figs. 1 and 4, connected through an adjustable connection 11 with the end pieces I2, I3. The connection of each spring 16 with the beater frame is through apoint 'I8 on the plate 1 I. The

front edge of the beater frame is cut away at I9 so as to permit the same to be easily grasped by the operator and to thus form a handle formation 80 on the beater frame, Fig. 4. f In order that the beater frame will. not b brought up against the bottom heddle frame, there are provided stop bars 8|, 82 at opposite sides of the frame which will bear against the lower edges of boards 54 which connect the heddle frame arrangement 45 to the inner Walls of the end pieces |2 and I3. n

With one or more of the heddle frames withdrawn, as shown in Fig. 1, the warp strands are separated and the shed space 62 is formed. By keeping the beater frame 6l up and out of the way, a maximum size shed space 28 is afforded. A shuttle at, Fig. 3, can be readily thrown through this space without being interfered with by the beater` .frame 61. Once one or more Woof or horizontal threads are fed between the warp strands, the beater frame 61 is brought down to a dot-and-dasn line position 85, Fig. 1, taking with it the Woof threads and adding them to a cloth piece B6 extending around the cloth beam 43 and toward th-e cloth roller 33. 'When the beater frame 61 is released by the `operator when f in the lowered position, it is returned to its raised position by the force of springs 16. The operator, therefore, need not exert force to return the frame to its upper position, although his hand will ride up with the frame.

The warp threads may be fastened to the warp roller by pivoted loops 81 secured to the surface of the roller, Fig. 1. The advancing ends of the warp threads are secured to the cloth roller 34 by rod 88 secured between straps 88 each fasu tened by a tack 88" to the roller surface.

In order to keep the loom frame of minimum depth and width, the end pieces are cut away as indicated at 89 so that the shuttle can be readily passed into the end of the shed 28. This out 89 extends sufliciently rearwardly into the end pieces so as to be rearwardly of the shed and its rear edge 89', being inclined rearwardly and parallel to the warp strands 28 as they extend be tween the beams 42 and i3. These cut outs not only provide clearance at the ends of the shed for the insertion of the shuttle Bit but make possible a short path of the hand from the shuttle inserting position to the handle 8|) of the beater frame 61.

Referring now to Figs. 5, 6, 7 and 8 there is shown more in detail my mechanism for preventing the shuttle from dropping into the bottom of the shed and for preventing entanglement of the forward end of the shuttle with the warp strands. This mechanism includes a backing board 9| having forwardly projecting fingers 92 connected to its lower end and adapted to project between the strands and through the shed when the beater frame is raised. It will be noted that the backing board 9| lies flush with rear strands to support them against rearward displacement should the shuttle 83 be carelessly inserted by the operator with the end between these rear strands. The shuttle upon striking the backing board will be prevented from passing between the strands forming the rear of the shed and will tend to fall to the bottom of the shed and come to a point of rest. It will, however, be prevented from reaching the bottom of the shed by the forwardly projecting guide ingers 92.

When the beater frame is lowered or pushed downwardly against the action of the spring 16 to beat the woof threads into the lcloth piece 86,

the backing mechanism is automatically pivoted, Figs. 1 and 5, about its hinge point 93 on the beater frame by a tension spring 94 connected at one end to the backing board mechanism at S5 and at its other end to the rearward portion of the beater frame as at 95. This rearward movement of the backing board mechanism is made possible by the release of a projection 91 of the backing board mechanism from the end board 54 of the heddle frame arrangement. This release is effected automatically as the beater frame is forced down and is completed when beater frame assumes the position shown in Fig. 5. This pivotal movement of the baffle mechanism relative to the beater frame continues until the fingers are out of the shed and the spring 94 has come to a center position between points 93 and 96, as shown in Fig. 5. yIt will stay in this on-center position as the beater frame moves to its lower position, Fig. 1 and until such time as the beater frame is returned to its raised position and forced downwardly out of its center position by engagement of the lug 9T with the heddle frame end board 54.

There are two of the mechanisms just described, one at each side of the frame and tied together through `the transversely extending backing board 9|. The mechanisms work in unison and the backing board is uniformly positioned against the rear warp strands.

In order that the backing board will be adaptable to substantially any inclination of the rear strands, the mechanism is made in two parts li, |62, both pivoted at the point 93 on the beater frame and relatively movable with respect to earch other. The ends of these two parts are connected together by a light spring |63, so as to tend to keep the two parts locked together. However, when the mechanism is up and the backing board 9| is flush with the rear strands as shown in Fig 1, the parts |6| and |02 are drawn apart so as to properly align a backing board 9| with the rear strands. This alignment of the backing board 9| with the rear strands wil-l continue to be had throughout the normal working range with which the cloth piece 86 is permitted to yextend at any time above the cloth beam 43. However, with the cloth piece 86 permitted to be built up to a Vpoint as shown in Fig. 6, the arm |92 may have its pin |94 engage with a shoulder' on the arm and the backing board 9| would lie at its top edge slightly away from the rear strands as indicated, but it will not do so to any great disadvantage. At this time the cloth piece should be rolled up` on the ycloth roll 34. r

It will be understood that as the beater frame is moved down, the backing board mechanism moves as a unit rearwardly due to the action of spring 94 to a point removed from the shed and out of the way to permit the beating of the woof threads into the cloth piece. As the beater frame is released and raised by its spring i6 the backing mechanism is automatically projected into its operative position within the shed and against the rear strands.

Referring to Fig. S there is shown the detailed construction of the backing board 9| and its ngers 92. The fingers 92 are very narrow and are widely spaced apart, Fig. '7. The backing board 9| consists of -a at piece positioned on edge and rigidly secured to a depending portion |65 on the pivot arm |02. The rear ends of the fingers project through slots in the backing board and the projections on the back of the backing board are turned over as indicated at |01 and secured to the backing board by a screw, rivet or other similar means |08.

vI have' described what I believe to be the best embodiments of my invention;i I do not wish, however, to be confined to the embodiments shown, but what I desire to cover by Letters Patent is set forth in the appended claims.

1. In a hand loom, an upright frame including end pieces, warp and cloth rollers and beams connected between the end pieces in vertically-spaced relation and adapted to support warp strands and cloth, a heddle frame arrangement connected to the frame between the warp and cloth beams and adapted to separate the warp strands to form a shed, said heddle frame arrangement when retracted being of such depth as to lie within the front and rear connes of the frame, a beater of substantially the same depth and lying within the same connes of the frame, offset plates on the rear of the beater and means for pivotally connecting the olTset ends of the plates to the rear of frame, whereby said beater may lie parallel to and close to the heddle arrangement when out of use.

2. In a hand loom, an upright frame including end pieces, warp and cloth rollers and beams connected between the end pieces in vertically spaced relation and adapted to support warp strands and cloth, a heddle frame arrangement connected to the frame between the warp and cloth beams and adapted to separate the warp strands to form a shed, said cloth roller being positioned in the frame substantially in vertical alignment with rearward edge of the heddle frame arrangement, a beater frame of substantially the same depth as the heddle frame positioned between the heddle frame and the cloth roller and adapted to lie parallel to and close to the heddle frame in its out-of-use position, vertically offset extension means on the rear of the beater frame adapted to extend to a location near to and rearwardly of the cloth roller, and means for pivotally connecting the oirset means to the upright frame, whereby to permit a full swing of the beater frame free of the roller and thus making for compactness of the loom.

3. In a hand loom, an upright frame including end pieces, warp and cloth rollers and beams connected between the end pieces in vertically spaced relation and adapted to support warp strands and cloth, a heddle arrangement connected to the frame between the warp and cloth beams, a beater frame adapted to norm-ally liein an out-of-use position parallel to and close to the heddle arrangement7 means for pivotally connecting the rear end of the beater to the upright frame for vertical movement therein, said connecting means including a rod extending between the end pieces and adapted to be axially adjustable with respect thereto, means for securing the frame to the rod against lateral displacement thereon, and releasable means for locking the rod to the end pieces whereby the beater may at times be laterally adjusted with respect to the heddle arrangement and warp strands.

ll. In a hand loom, an upright frame including end pieces, warp and cloth rollers and beams connected between the end pieces in vertically spaced relation and adapted to sup-port warp strands and cloth, a heddle arrangement connected to the frame between the warp and cloth beams, a beater frame adapted to normally lie in an out-of-use position parallel to and close to the heddle arrangement, said end pieces having small holes axially aligned with one another and atleast one of the small holes having a counterbore opening extending inwardly ofthe outer face of the end piece, means for pivotally connecting the beaterto the end pieces for vertical movement therein including a rod extending through the small holes and into a counterbore opening, lock-nuts for preventing axialmovement of the rod in the opening, one lock nut bearing` against the inner face of the frame piece and the other lock nut contained within thecounterbore opening, bearing against the bottom thereof, andwithout` protruding from `the ,outer `face of `the/endpiece, means for preventing lateral displacement of the beater on the rod, said rod thereby being axially adjustable in the end pieces upon the lock nuts being released.

5. An upright frame for looms comprising end pieces with narrow top edges and wide bottom edges transversely extending spacing members connected vbetween the end pieces at their tops and bottom edges, said spacing members being symmetrically spaced and the top spacing members being more narrowly spaced than the bottom spacing members, said spacing members lying within the confines of the top and bottom edges, cushioning supports at the opposite ends of the bottom edges, suciently spaced to be free of the narrow top edges of the end pieces as the frames are stacked upon each other.

6. In a hand loom, an upright frame including end pieces, a warp roller and a beam connected between the end pieces near the top of the frame, a cloth roller and a beam connected between the end pieces near the bottom of the frame, warp strands extending between the rollers, a heddle lframe arrangement connected to the end pieces intermediate the warp and cloth beams and disposed to displace the warp strands to form a shed,

a beater frame pivotally connected to the end i pieces for vertical movement to and from a position parallel Ito and close to the bottom of the heddle arrangement, tension spring means connected between the beater and the upright frame for automatically returning the beater to its raised position, a backboard carried by the beater frame and pivotally secured thereto and further spring means interconnecting the backboard and the beater frame and disposed to bring the backboard into yielding engagement with the shed when the beater frame is positioned close to the bottom of the heddle arrangement.

'7. In a hand loom, an upright frame including end pieces, a warp roller and a beam connected between the end pieces near the top of the frame, a cloth roller and a beam connected between the end pieces near the bottom of the frame, warp strands extending between the rollers, a heddle frame arrangement connected to the end pieces intermediate the warp and cloth beams and disposed to displace the warp strands to form a shed, a beater frame pivotally connected to the end pieces for vertical movement to and from a position parallel to and close to the bottom of the heddle arrangement, tension spring means connected between the beater and the upright frame for automatically returning the beater to its raised position, a backboard carried by the beater frame and pivotally secured thereto, further spr-ing means interconnecting the backboard and the beater frame and disposed to bring the backboard into yielding engagement with the shed when the beater frame is positioned close to the bottom of the heddle arrangement and a plurality of narrow members spaced along the back- 1 1 board and shaped to protrude into the shed when the backboard is in proximity thereto and shaped to provide support for the shuttle when the latter is Within the shed.

FRANK HAVICE.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the fue of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Name Date Gay Nov. 5, 1,907

Number Number Number 

